Curried Eggs

I managed to get a two-fer in today, lucky me!  I decided to make this recipe for dinner tonight because it is very easy to make and modernize, and I had the time.   The recipe of choice came from Miss Fanny Merritt Farmer's cookbook, The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book.  It is an egg dish that I find good for dinner side as well as for breakfast. 

Curried Eggs

3 hard boiled eggs
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup hot milk

Melt butter, add flour and seasonings, and gradually hot milk.  Cut eggs in eighths lengthwise, and re-heat in sauce.

As you can tell this one doesn't really need a lot of updating.  It is fairly simple, but it might require some clarification and explanation of technique.  This sauce requires a roux, which is a thickening base.  It takes some practice and skill to make it properly without burning it.  The first time I made one I burned it three times and nearly ruined the custom stock for the soup I was putting together.  After melting the butter, keep the heat on the burner to medium-low to low.  Add the flour and cook it gently until it turns a little more golden, but not brown.  If the mixture turns brown you have cooked it too much.  Add the milk in a slow stream and stir it in carefully to make sure there are no lumps.  Add the seasonings and then cook the mixture, stirring frequently until it begins to simmer.  Let it cook a few minutes more, it will thicken a little, then turn off the heat.  The sauce will thicken appropriately once it begins to cool.

If desired you can add more curry to the mix to pick up the flavor.  I also removed the yolks from the eggs to take the cholesterol out of the equation.

Here is how I had it for dinner tonight! The eggs are in the cup, served with whole wheat couscous and tropical cucumber salad.